1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printer and a method of interrupting a printing operation in a continuous transport process.
2. Related Art
Printers having an LD (Load) roller for supplying a printing medium into the printers and a PF (Paper Feed) roller for transporting the printing medium supplied into the printers are known as ink jet printers for performing a printing operation on a printing medium such as a sheet of regular paper (for example, see JP-A-2002-284373 and JP-A-2002-284374).
Specifically, in the printer described in JP-A-2002-284373 or JP-A-2002-284374, it is possible to continuously feed plural printing sheets by the use of the LD roller with a hopper kept in a raised state. When the plural printing sheets are continuously fed, a feed gap of the printing mediums is shortened, thereby enhancing the number of printing sheets which can be subjected to the printing operation per unit time.
In the printer described in JP-A-2002-284373 or JP-A-2002-284374, the hopper is kept in the raised state. In this state, by continuously feeding the plural printing mediums on the feed tray to the printing area, it is possible to enhance the number of printing mediums that can be fed per unit time, in comparison with the case where the plural printing mediums on the feed tray are individually transported.
However, when the operation of continuously feeding the plural printing mediums is carried out, the printer cannot interrupt the printing operation in the way. In the related printer for individually transporting the printing mediums for print, the sheet under print is discharged at the time of interrupting the printing operation. Such a print interrupting process of the related printer cannot be applied to printers for continuously feeding plural printing mediums without any change. After the printing operation is interrupted, the hopper is maintained in the raised state. Accordingly, the printer cannot start a next printing operation. As a result, in the printer for continuously feeding the plural printing mediums, all the printing mediums corresponding to the expected number of sheets are discharged without stopping the printing operation and then it is necessary to wait until the LD follower roller is separated from the LD roller.